Metal Monday: Remembering Peter Steele
posted in: Features • Rock
It’s not often that a person can truthfully say that the world has lost one of its most unique and talented vocalists, but the metal world recently suffered such a loss. Peter Steel of Type O Negative and Carnivore passed due to heart failure on April 14, 2010. Though it’s old news, it is only fair to pay respects to one of the most brilliant minds and voices in the history of the metal genre.
Peter Steele had quite the career in music. Peter was a professed Athiest-turned-Roman-Catholic who died once (but not really, such a faker) and posed for Playgirl. And when he realized that mostly men read the magazine he then wrote a song about it.
Peter’s first band, Carnivore, was part of the thrash movement back in the ’80s. The group saw limited success and only released 2 albums before breaking up in 1989. Soon after, Peter formed Type O Negative, the band he would eventually become famous with. While Type O Negative might have made a name for themselves without Peter’s voice, bass playing and lyrics, there is no denying that the most unique and compelling aspects of many Type O Negative songs are thanks to Peter. Bleak, depressing, personal, haunting are just some of the many adjectives that can be used to describe both Type O Negative and Peter Steele.
Better than any words I could write to remember Peter would be his lyrics:
“I don’t feel anything, I don’t need anything, I don’t need love.”
“We hate everyone, we don’t care what you think.”
“All of the flowers I gave her, she burned them.”
“Now don’t believe she’ll never leave again, I can’t forget the words she said way back then.”
“I’ve lost myself again, it’s a nightmare, but it’s clear it will end, but when?”
“I can’t believe I died last night – I’m f***ing dead again.”